Tag Archive: stomach cramps

Lets have a look at the two drugs they are currently prescribing for Fibromyalgia, Cymbalta and Lyrica. I found this from the Patients like me website.

Cymbalta side effects as an overall problem of 754 people, 511 experienced side effect, 119 being severe. Of the 481 side effects reported, the most common were libido decreased, sweating increased, nausea, dizziness, brain cloud and insomnia, most being moderate to severe.

Lyrica side effects as an overall problem of 604 people, 484 experienced side effects, 151 of them being severe. Of the 610 side effects reported, the most common were weight gain, brain fog, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, lack of concentration and blurry vision.

Interesting enough, after 18 years of the drugs they have given me, since giving them up, the brain fog or cloud has disappeared, the weight gain has stopped and I have returned to my normal weight, I don’t experience the dizziness anymore or the nausea (except from certain foods), my concentration is better and I sleep better now.

It has taken a very strict program of chiropractic care/stretching/exercise/diet changes/herbals/vitamins/giving up certain things/adding certain things plus many more hints and tips, an overall combination of events that is finally helping me. I am by all means not cured but I am far better off than a year ago and I can see things a lot more clearly now. Understanding your body and what is going on with it is half the battle instead of drowning it with chemical drugs in hope for a cure. Not one of the many, many drugs I was on cured anything, only complicated things for me and I could see the drugs were going to be detrimental to me in the long term.

My questions are:

Why are we okay with drugs that give a majority of users side effects that are mild to severe, yet don’t really help?

How can all these drugs be good for our organs in the long term?

How can they drug this illness when they don’t even know what it is?

How do they know they aren’t making it worse?

Some of us can’t take the drugs anymore, what about us? Are there any other Fibromyalgia sufferers in the same boat? Please share you comments.

diclofenac/misoprostol – oral, Arthrotec

**Rarely, diarrhea can become so severe and persistent that it may lead to dehydration

- severe/persistent diarrhea

- stomach cramps

- severe dizziness

- decreased amount of urine

- muscle weakness

****Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

- difficult/painful swallowing

- swelling of the hands/feet

- sudden/unexplained weight gain

- vision changes

- hearing changes (e.g., ringing in the ears)

- mental/mood changes (e.g., depression)

- fast/pounding heartbeat

- persistent/severe headache

- fainting

- unusual/heavy vaginal bleeding

- menstrual problems/irregular periods

****Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur:

- change in the amount of urine

- easy bruising/bleeding

- signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat)

- unexplained stiff neck

- seizures

******This drug may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) liver disease. If you notice any of the following rare but very serious side effects, stop taking diclofenac/misoprostol and tell your doctor immediately:

- yellowing eyes/skin

- dark urine

- unusual/extreme tiredness

- severe stomach/abdominal pain

- persistent nausea/vomiting

******A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include:

- rash

- itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat)

- severe dizziness

- trouble breathing

**This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

**Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using this medication. This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely.

*Diclofenac may cause:

- stomach bleeding. Daily use of alcohol and tobacco may increase your risk for stomach bleeding

– may make you more sensitive to the sun. Avoid prolonged sun exposure, tanning booths, and sunlamps

– elderly may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially stomach/intestinal bleeding and kidney effects.

– must not be used during pregnancy. It can harm the unborn baby and mother

*******DRUG INTERACTIONS: This drug should not be used with the following medications because very serious interactions may occur:

- high doses of aspirin and related drugs – salicylates

- cidofovir, other NSAIDs – ketorolac

If you are currently using any of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting diclofenac/misoprostol.

- anti-platelet drugs – cilostazol, clopidogrel

- oral bisphosphonates – alendronate

- “blood thinners” – enoxaparin, heparin, warfarin

- corticosteroids – prednisone, cyclosporine, desmopressin, digoxin

- high blood pressure drugs – ACE inhibitors such as captopril, angiotensin receptor blockers such as loartan, and beta-blockers such as metoprolol, lithium, methotrexate, pemetrexed, probenecid

– pain/fever drugs – NSAIDs such as aspirin, celecoxib, ibuprofen. These drugs are similar to this medication, so taking one of these drugs while also taking this medication may increase your risk of side effects

I was prescribed these for probably 15 years. I experienced many of the symptoms above yet the doctor never considered them being a side effect from the drugs they were prescribing. They then went on to give me more drugs for the symptoms I was having and send me to specialists for this and that, added more diagnoses and more prescriptions to the mix. Hmmm??? Beside the added expense to our health care. Believe me too, when you involve more doctors you open yourself up to a power struggle of who is right with what diagnoses and then also the ego of the doctor whom is always right. To be honest, it is hard to find doctors who agree with one another.

Did you read that this is not a complete list of possible side effect? The list just goes on and on. This is because the reports just keep coming in from people so you should keep updated and report your side effects! If you experienced heavy vaginal bleeding they would probably send you to a gynecologist and not even consider your muscle relaxant. Muscle weakness or fatigue you might have a touch of the flu. Abdominal pain, nausea or vomitting probably the same thing or send you for an ultra sound to check your gallbladder. My point here is that one drug can cause so many problems, offer so little cure and it’s side effects or adverse reactions can be masked as disease itself.